Wellness for Life: Handling Emotional Stress

Stress is the body’s way of dealing with perceived threats to survival. In the past, humans had saber-tooth tigers to fend off. Today, emotional stress is usually self-imposed. Taking on more than we can manage is harmful to our health because the body is wired the same as in prehistoric times.

According to one survey, nearly 75 percent of adults feel great emotional stress on a weekly basis. The idea that positive or negative states of mind can influence health and disease is now accepted by the medical community. Recent scientific advances prove the rich network of connections by which the brain and immune system communicate, such that interruptions of these connections — the over-activity that occurs during stress — lead to disease. By contrast, activities that reduce the stress response, like meditation, maintain these connections and our health.

Mental/emotional stress derives from conscious as well as subconscious events, beliefs, actions, and feelings. These include negative attitudes, family and work issues, noise, infections, crowds, deadline pressures, caring for an aging parent, a death in the family —even in creative projects our mental state creates chemical changes in the body.

When we put our bodies under chronic stress, many chemical reactions occur at the cellular level. The body moves into a state of tension that includes increased heart rate and changes in muscle tone. When tension in the system increases, it affects the reaction between the pain receptors and the mechanoreceptors, which are essential for sending information from the body to the brain. If those areas become overloaded, then our body is not going to be able to function optimally.

When we don’t have healthy outlets for stress, those chemical changes can build up and chronically impact how the body feels overall. Too much emotional stress can lead to dis-ease of the body, thus leaving it susceptible to disease.

So how do we manage negativity and the mental/emotional issues that can create stress in our lives? As was discovered by Masaru Emoto in The Hidden Messages in Water, love and gratitude are the strongest, most positive emotions humans have; they actually change cellular structures. Negative thoughts can bring on disease faster than any other cause. Therefore, we can improve our health by surrounding ourselves in a positive environment.

Here are suggestions for managing mental/emotional stress:

1) Connect with people around you. Having friends you can confide in, create with, or solve problems with, is key. Hugging also goes a long way.
2) Develop a good meditation and/or prayer practice where you empty your thoughts daily. These are ways to unload the brain so that we can rest; thus decreasing blood pressure and pulse rate, and improving blood circulation.
3) The ability to sleep is essential; this is when your body recharges and heals itself. Try not to drink caffeinated beverages or work out heavily within a few hours of bedtime. Leave the computers and televisions off, especially the news. Make sure the last thing you do before drifting off is peaceful, relaxing, funny, or whatever will create a happy state for you.
4) Chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture are fantastic tools to reconnect your system and help manage stress.
5) The greatest outlet for mental/emotional stress is a positive mental attitude. If you can put a positive spin on everything you do, you will find a way to move through life more easily. Negative emotional stress can exacerbate existing medical conditions.
6) In an emergency, please consult with a mental health professional to help you with issues. Interview many before settling on one whom you can trust and feel comfortable with.
7) Make walking (see Part I) a regular exercise regimen; it can be helpful in allowing you to take your mind off your troubles.
8) Breathe deeply and often, fully expanding the lungs and increasing the tone of the body’s tissues.

Emotional stress is a normal part of our lives. It can move us forward with inspiration or hold us back in fear and stagnation. These are lifestyle choices available to everyone. Our level of physical activity, good nutrition, a balance of rest and play, and social networking all contribute to a greater ability to manage and grow from mental/emotional stress. By consciously attending to the causes of our stress, we can overcome sorrows and enrich other people’s lives. This is the greatest benefit of this wellness practice.